MissionThe Thai Society of Ontario Health Promotion Committee (TSO-HPC) is committed to promoting health and well-being of all Thai immigrants residing in Ontario through participatory action research (PAR), health education and training activities.

Who we areTSO-HPC is a group of Thai volunteers who has strong interest in carrying out the Health and Settlement Project for a mutual benefit of Thai community. It was initiated by the Health Project funded by CAMH in April 2010. TSO-HPC committee is primarily consisted of 5 respected community leaders and 12 dedicated project team members who are capable of promoting the health and well-being of Thai immigrants. The committee works closely with TSO board members, Project Advisory board and Thai Embassy to ensure delivery of 3 committed services and its sustainability. These three activities include training, workshops, and health information through TSO website.

HPC members

1. Dr. Somchai Chiarawuttisarn

Chairman

2. Chamaiporn Bhirom

Project Director

3. Chutika Udomsin

Health and Settlement Workshops Director

4. Romyen Tangsubutra

Training Director

5. Veerapong Tharmviboonsri

e-Health Director

Advisory board

1. Dr. Apisamai Srirungson

MPH staff Psychiatrist

2. Kednapa Thavorn

M.Pharm, PhD (ABD), Department of Health Policy,Management and Evaluation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

What we do1. To establish Thai community Health Promotion Committee (HPC) and generate cohorts of trained Community Health Counselors (CHCs).2. To disseminate information and provide community health education and settlement through various workshops and e-health website.3. To share and transfer gained knowledge to expand the collaborative network to reach out and include other marginal and vulnerable communities.

How we do it• Construction of HPC:The project begins with the construction of a committee within a community. The established committee then works with the project sponsor to accomplish mission and objectives and is responsible for developing long-term strategies in order to carry on the aims of the project following the completion of the project. HPC meets regularly to set specific tasks, monitor progress of the project and finds ways to support the project team and volunteers.

• Training CHCHPC will recruit, train and retrain competent health counselors. This is a critical task in establishing sustainable community-driven interventions. During the project implementation, HPC in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Thailand (MPH) represented by Dr. Apisamai Srirangson will recruit and train 24 CHCs who will be able to provide basic counseling skills in health issues and make appropriate referrals to local health care units if required.

• Health website (e-Health)Embedded in the TSO website, HPC develops an e-Health page., specifically comprising of e-Info, e-Learning and e-Talk sectionsE-Info will contain useful information about physical and mental health including news, recent campaign and health-related announcements and links. Important features of e-Info include updates on health care services in Canada, using health care and health insurance, and “how to” guidelines for the most effective use of health services. It will also provide up-to-date research findings on immigrants health and highlight the salience of social support from one’s ethnic group, sense of community belongings social capital and collective efficacy.

E-Learning promotes self-learning about physical and mental health and diseases. Self-rated questionnaires will be available for self-examination of general health, ADL, life satisfaction, loneliness, alcohol consumption, daily stress, coping, psychological distress, and health behaviors. The electronic questionnaires provided by the Ministry of Public Health Ministry of Public Health website will be adopted with minor revisions to reflect Canadian context. e-books, DVDs, and other media resources, will be available to all users for reading, watching, downloading, and printing individual learning. Users may also register for available on-line classes (eg, MPH health counselor training). Links to useful sites, both in Thai and English, will be available for diverse topics, including youth health, woman health, depression, alcohol and substance use, suicide, drug and alcohol, etc. e-Learning will stress the salience of a healthy lifestyle and the importance of early detection and receipt of medical care. Considering the structural context and daily experiences of immigrants and Thai culture, e-Learning will also emphasize on the protective effects of personal coping, family cohesion and support as well as community and religious belonging.

E-Talk is a critical segment of e-Health, because it allows users to communicate with CHCs and health care professionals. Posted questions will be replied promptly by health care professionals, repetitive questions and answers will be integrated into the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) room. This component will be an important part of promoting a sense of community belonging and developing collective efficacy.

Community Health EducationFour workshops will be offered on Canadian health care systems; stress, coping and relaxation technique; substance and gambling addiction; domestic violence; women’s health; child and youth. These priority topics were identified based on the need from survey and in consultation with researchers, MPH, and TSO. Each workshop will be started with a guest professional speaker on immigration, acculturation and health topics, and ended with consultation provided by Thai health professionals. To reach farm workers in Niagara and Windsor-Leamington areas, we will organize two workshops in each region. The HPC will announce workshops in advance using the website, mailing lists, radio, posters, and flyers. Based on our past experiences with community health fairs, we expect an average of 30-50 participants, depending on the topic and venue of the workshop. Each workshop summary will be available through diverse sources, including the TSO website, community papers and radio, and TSO newsletters. The ultimate goal is to foster a sense of coherence and collective efficacy.

SponsorsCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthMinistry of Public Health, ThailandRoyal Thai Embassy in OttawaThe Thai Society of Ontario